The Overnight Guest

In 2019, the Sunday Times drew criticism upon releasing a list of the 100 best thriller and crime novels of the last century that included only 28 female-identifying authors. This list thus failed to encapsulate the long history of female crime writers and their influence on the genre, an influence that has only increased in the 21st century. Women were publishing crime novels as early as 1850. Though many of their works fell into obscurity and failed to join the cultural zeitgeist, the literary creations of these women formed the foundation for later books, establishing many tropes of the genre (Weinman, Sarah. “The Original Ladies of Crime.” Crime Reads, 2018). Agatha Christie’s work became central to establishing a female foothold in crime and thriller novels. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920), introduced one of her most beloved characters and was written with such meticulous detail that she was commended by the Pharmaceutical Journal. Her bibliography, which includes 66 novels and 14 short story collections, has made her the best-selling novelist in history with more than 1 billion copies of her books sold worldwide (“About Agatha Christie.” The Home of Agatha Christie).

As female writers have become increasingly involved in the thriller genre, it is important to highlight the topics and issues presented in their work. These writers are increasingly including violence against women to critique broader societal considerations, including the social and political structures that can put women at a disadvantage. Additionally, by featuring more female narrators, authors are highlighting the lasting effects of trauma and the way that misogyny, in all its forms, harms generations of women. The Overnight Guest depicts sexual, physical, and emotional abuse toward women, often touching on the lingering and generational effects of such harm and suppression.